Healing Invisible Scars
by Priestess Aishisu
Summary: After a severe beating from Naraku, Kikyou is left helpless, and is found by none other than Sesshoumaru. Kagura has been tricked by Naraku, and now has only a little time to live. Previously Living Again. KS KI MS SR KK
1. Grief and Shadows

Priestess: An Inuyasha fanfiction…I haven't written one of these for a while, I must say. Oh, well. What harm can it do? The worst thing that can happen is that a) no one reads it, or b) I get flamed.

* * *

_Naraku_ _had to be long gone by now, and the darkness_ _that_ _had_ _curled_ _from her subconscious during that unbearable beating was blinding her and numbing the anguish in her artificial body_._  
She gazed at_ _the_ _darkness, the_ _darkness_ _of death. The darkness that could free her from_ _all_ _the misery,_ _the loneliness, the bitterness, the **pain**_ _of_ _being alive. Though she was not truly alive_.  
_Kikyou already knew because of this the peace, the_ _relief of_ _that_ _darkness could_ _not_—_would_ _not_—_reach her. Naraku_ _had_ _come close_ _to killing her, but_ _he had not succeeded._ _He couldn't_.  
_Her_ _soul_-_skimmers_ _twined_ _around_ _the_ _mutilated_ _clay_ _body,_ _her inauthentic_ _flesh_ _already_ _beginning_ _to_ _heal_ _itself._

* * *

The night was silent.__

Demons, animals, spirits, any creatures which might usually be roaming at night had fled as if they knew by some primal instinct who it was inhabiting this place. The only beings still there were long snakelike beings which twined around a tree which had a strange structure of branches—almost like a leafy cradle.

A beautiful woman in the red-and-white robes of a _miko_, or priestess, lay in the branches. Her lithe graceful body was unmoving, her exquisite face impassive, but her eyes were open. She could not have moved had she tried, for the anguish was still fresh, so she gazed out into the night, and there was a depth of grief in her eyes which made one wonder what mysterious stirrings were hidden behind the calm exterior.

Grief…

This _miko,_ the miko known as Kikyou, knew grief and pain well. Too well, for it was a part of her.

She was tired of getting hurt. But her frigid heart remained kind, she could not go without loving. But she couldn't love, so she had to hide it. Had to build an emotional wall around herself, for she had had enough grief for a million lifetimes.

Lifetimes…

Was that what she called them? She had had only one lifetime, and it was no true life. All her life was in that **woman** now. She was not alive.

She was just…there. That was all. She had nothing and nobody and she convinced herself she didn't want it. She was beginning to realize, however, that she was kidding herself. She desperately longed for someone to love, someone with a small intention of protection, someone to hold her in his arms the way Inuyasha once did. That was all over now. All she wanted to do was kill Inuyasha, kill the one she loved.

Love…

Her heart ached for love, but she would not have it. No, that girl had it now. Her reincarnation. Her other self, her so-called 'true' self. The one with the happy friends, the happy lifestyle, the happy memories, and the happiness of the little things in life, all the ones Kikyou had been denied. And who had, still, with all of that, taken everything Kikyou had left.

Kikyou's place by Inuyasha's side as the one loving him and changing him for the better, day by day. The one in the village whom the villagers looked towards, for guidance and hope and purity. More, if that was possible, as the _miko_ who protected and purified the _Shikon no Tama_. It was those things that had made Kikyou into who she was, the core of her personality, her very being. How could Kagome, her own reincarnation, so easily rip it away; so guiltlessly, so effortlessly?

Something in Kikyou wanted this girl, this **Kagome,** to suffer. To know the anguish Kikyou had felt, to be a soulless prisoner of her own feelings and be hated by all—including herself.

But she was not hated. She was loved. She could not understand how Kikyou felt. She was influenced by her feelings, but she lived in harmony with them. She did not have to fight them. She was not bound.

Bound...

It was unjust to blame 'Kagome' for what had happened to her, but was it not unjust to blame Kikyou either? She had never asked for the bandit Onigumo to lust after her, for the _Shikon no Tama**-**_the Jewel of Four Souls**_-_**to be put in her care. She had never done anything to deserve what happened to her, but it had happened nevertheless.

Kikyou knew her soul existed, bound somewhere in the pits of Hell. Bound, just as she was. Bound by crimes she never committed. Bound, where she did not belong. Bound to her own resurrected corpse, doomed to drift for eternity.

Drifting...

Kikyou knew that she had to keep drifting, that she could never let herself get attached to anything. For if she let herself fall in love, if she let herself care, she would just end up getting hurt again.

So she had to keep drifting, had to keep up the act. Had to be evil, no matter how her heart wept against it. No matter how much it hurt. No matter how much she hated herself for it.

Hatred...

She felt it in her veins like tar. She felt the bitterness and fury that had led her to Hell, a place where no _miko_ should ever be. It bound her to this clay sculpture, made of bones and sacred soil. She had to live on the souls of young girls without guidance, because the hatred in her had repulsed her true soul. And every fortnight she had to gain new souls; because once the souls she used knew where to go in their afterlife, her conscience would not let her keep them bound.

And that girl, that false _miko_, who had everything she had worked so hard for…she had her soul. She was not bound by resentment to a clay sculpture. She was not hated by everybody for something which was not her fault. She was lovable and loving and loved.

And Kikyou…she was nothing. She was just an empty shell. She wandered about aimlessly, except for her occasional stays at villages. One of her soul skimmers descended lazily, running the entire length of its translucent body beneath her fingertips like an affectionate house pet. Kikyou stroked the milky, eel-like creature absently as it glided past, and a single word fell from her rosy lips like a sigh:

"Why?"

* * *

Why? 

A non-existent question to one whom asks no question nor gives no answer. A question far too puzzling to put into words, a question only the helpless asks.

Sesshoumaru believed this thoroughly, yet it was a question he had posed to himself many times. Beliefs had to mercy, not even to the believers.

Mercy?

What a word! Something he had believed he would never show or require, something he believed he was above. Yet he caught himself feeling it, when Rin was involved.

That strange little girl…causing him to do such things. He wasn't quite sure how she did it either. He would think about it until his head ached. He glanced at the young girl, hopping brightly, chattering to an obviously uninterested Jaken, unaware of the chill or the shadows.

Shadows...

There were far too many. He hated them, for in the shadowy swirls of the deceptively delicate-seeming clouds he could make out figures he never wanted to see. Figures…those he despised.

There was his half-brother Inuyasha, that _hanyou_ disgrace. There was his _miko_ wench, the human Kagome. There was that _houshi_ with the accursed hand, Miroku. And all those other unfortunate bastards.

Unfortunate…

Perhaps he was the unfortunate one. He was the lord of the Western Lands, yet to his dismay was given a phony sword, only used to heal. He was not one to heal! If hadn't had it, he wouldn't show mercy because of a child. But it was his own fault. He was the one who had healed her. It was unfair.

Why did Inuyasha obtain his father's legacy, when _he_, the great Sesshoumaru, was not even able to touch it without the aid of Naraku? He never asked many questions for not much perplexed him, but this, however, was too much. It was most likely for the love of that…that…**human.** How could he have gone so low, to taint the purity of his line?

Purity…

Untainted blood, the cleanest and highest orders of it; and there were no existing ties stronger than blood. And he was the blood-son of the strongest _youkai_ for thousands and thousands of years, and nothing could ever change that. But that didn't matter, did it? Not anymore. Inuyasha had been granted the Tetsusaiga, while Sesshoumaru was left with the Tenseiga.

The sword of heaven's healing, given to the destroyer of the circle of life. If his father had wanted to instill shame into his eldest son after his death, he could not have found a more effective way.

He stiffened suddenly.

There was a sacred but sinister aura around this place, something which made him want to retch. Jaken had recoiled and hidden behind Sesshoumaru's wide silk pant leg, and Rin had an expression of fear and amazement. He himself wanted to turn around and run like crazy, but he found himself rooted to the spot.

"There is something mysterious in this forest," murmured Sesshoumaru, not certain whether to himself or them. "Something powerful. I must see the spirit that inhabits this forest for myself, with its powers that I myself can hardly fathom."

He stepped forward tentatively, and immediately his senses went on full alert. The demon in him screeched. Jaken was blubbering, and Rin had stepped forward with the same hesitance. "Silence," he snarled, forcing himself to take another step forward.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken replied quietly.

Jaken was still sniffling in fear, and Rin was trembling with a mixture of excitement and terror. Sesshoumaru narrowed his beautiful, frigid eyes calculatingly. "Rin, stay behind. Jaken, you too. Keep watch on Rin and the horses."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken and Rin chimed in unison. Jake seemed thrilled and relieved, Rin was bright and happy again. Sesshoumaru nodded curtly and continued into the forest.

The branches thickened, and all his senses begged him to turn back. But he continued, sensing that the great energy was near. He smelled something, a human's scent—the fragrance of spicy trees and tantalizing, dewy blossoms. As well, there was an herbal aroma, and the fragrance of incense. But under that was the scent of blood, and graveyard soil. He had never before smelled such a mixture.

His muscles rippled, his body tensing. He knew it was coming. Then he saw them—the supple, shining beings he had heard of only in myths. They were said to bring the lost souls of young maidens to a legendary goddess/priestess. If that goddess was there, it would explain his apprehension. But that was impossible.

Then he saw, lying in the branches, the lovely form of the sleeping _miko_.


	2. Kagome's Love and Kagura's Heart

Priestess Aishisu: Reviews!

**Arwen Dark Sorceress Of Fate ): Wow!OMG! Bows to you This is one of the best fics I have read and I really Love it you captured everything just perfect It was amazing...only that I don't think Kik will be stronger than Sesshie I think of them as equals but... Well I loved that of the goddess/priestess thing it was so cool and well I hope you update soon I can hardly wait for the next chappie keep going and it's great to see another Sess/Kik ficcie here...well keep going with this amazing work**

_Priestess Aishisu: When did I say she was stronger? I also think they are equals, though at this point Kikyou is highly weakened._

**Rome34: most certanly interesting ... this should be good ...**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thank you._

**Nefertitifan: great fic  
  
updtae soon  
  
i love Kikyo/Sess fics**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thanks. I like them, too._

**EyeoftheTiger,KissoftheDragon: c;,om plz update!!**

_Priestess Aishisu: What do you think I'm doing?!_

**Hikari Kokoro: I love this Sess/Kik story! You do a great job and it's just such a great peice of work! I personally luv it! Sess/Kik rawks! lol. Anyway...you 'must' update this soon!**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thanks. Isn't Sesshoumaru/Kikyou great?_

**Sweet Ruby Moon: Wow. This story reminds me of one of the very first Sess/Kiky fanfics I ever saw. Your style is truly beautiful, touching even, and the way you stress certain words is just wonderful! Please, keep up with your outstanding work, alright? Ja ne!  
  
Ruby**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thank you, and I will try my best to keep up with my so_-called'_outstanding' work._

* * *

Kagome frowned at the words of the psychiatrist on television. _Children and teens don't really **understand** love. They think a crush, an infatuation, is love, when in fact it is a tiny dying spark. True love is a candle that never goes out, a flame of eternal devotion._

"'Kids and teens don't really _understand_ love," she mimicked in a ridiculous whiny voice. "What does she know?"

Love to Kagome was that encompassing feeling that was indescribable. It was that special feeling beyond comprehension—because if she could understand it, it wouldn't be love. She had always understood that. She loved Inuyasha, and she would always stay by his side. She knew he loved her as well, but not as much as Kikyou—never as much that damned clay mannequin wandering the earth, casting a dark shadow over her relationship with the one she loved.

But it would be an outright lie if Kagome were to claim that she had suffered as much as Kikyou had. It was a lie to say Kikyou didn't deserve Inuyasha—even if most people didn't seem to believe she did.

He was rude, he was obnoxious, he had no manners, he was never the type of person she imagined loving. Their first meeting consisted of him alternately calling her names and trying to kill her. But she loved him.

She was not Kikyou, but they both loved him. Kikyou plunged into Hell to be with Inuyasha, even after she believed he had betrayed her. Kagome spent day after day in the past.

Kikyou had loved him. Despite her powers weakening, despite her mission to protect a cursed jewel, despite all her training and morals and her very_ life itself_, she loved him.

Kagome thought of a line from "Here There Be Dragons": _The human heart is not like a loaf of bread; if I give a large portion to him, it does not follow that I must then give you a smaller slice._

Perhaps Inuyasha's heart was human enough to love them both, but she didn't want that. She wanted him to love **her,** and **not** love Kikyou. _It isn't fair,_ Kagome thought. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out whose situation was less fair—no, that wasn't true. It was Kikyou's, but Kagome couldn't—wouldn't—accept that.

Kagome knew she was wrong to wrong to feel bitter, wrong to think that she could understand—or even try to understand**—**Kikyou's grief and suffering. But she felt that way still, and she tried still, and she continued to love Inuyasha and pray he would choose her.

Because Kikyou was dead, and Kagome was alive. Kikyou was cursed, and Kagome was blessed. Kikyou had suffered, Kagome only believed she had suffered. Kikyou needed him, Kagome wanted him. Kikyou was a pale shadow that traveled through the night, Kagome was a bright star that glowed for all to see.

Under layers upon layers of bitterness and denial, Kagome knew that she would never deserve Inuyasha the way Kikyou did. Nevertheless, she still desired his love. But she knew she would never get it until Kikyou was able to love someone besides Inuyasha. But if that was truly the case, then it seemed that she would be getting Inuyasha's love sooner than she believed.

* * *

Sesshoumaru blinked, unable to understand his raging emotions. He had seen this woman before (chapter 263 of the manga, hasn't come out in English yet) and it had also thrown his feelings into turmoil. But it had been different then.

Then he had been wondering who she was and where she came from, why she had such a peculiar smell, why she was filled with dead souls rather than a soul of her own, if she could probably be the legendary priestess who had sealed his brother away for fifty years.

He hadn't been unable to get his mind off her, so he searched and studied. By now he knew that she _was_ that priestess—in fact, he knew just about everything there was to know about her. Or at least, he believed he did. In case you're a complete dunce who didn't get that last part (no offence to the complete dunces who didn't get that last part) he believed wrong.

* * *

Kagura felt ill as she stood before Naraku, trying to seem resolute when in fact she wanted to pass out from the nauseating intermingling of repulsive scents such as death and sweat and blood and her own raw fear. "Y–You summoned me, Master Naraku?"

Naraku regarded her impassively, neither warmth nor mercy in his frigid eyes. "Kagura, it is by now indisputable fact that you are a traitor," he said calmly. The words filled Kagura with terror, but she forced herself to remain calm and didn't reply. Naraku smiled, but there was as much warmth in his smile as in his eyes—none whatsoever. "I will set you free."

* * *

Suddenly Kikyou rose, much as she had arisen when Kagome had been watching her (you know, Volume Eight? Or, if you want Anime—"A Wicked Smile–Kikyou's Wandering Spirit" Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick.) When she saw Sesshoumaru, she seemed to tense up. Nevertheless, she didn't get her bow and arrows and she didn't leave the tree.

Instead, Kikyou regarded him silently. Her beautiful face was as unreadable as his was, and he realized he may as well speak first. "I know who you are," he said bluntly. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes," she replied, her tone as indecipherable as her expression. A few of her soul-skimmers surged up to protect her, but she shooed them away without a glance. Her clear gray eyes narrowed ever so slightly. (Yes, I know they're light brown in the anime, but in the original Manga version they're gray! Or blue…whatever.) "Why are you here? What do you want?"

* * *

Kagura blinked, sure she had heard wrong. "Y–You would give me my freedom?"

The same chilling half-smile curved the lips of a handsome face that did not belong to him. "That's right, Kagura. You wanted to be separated from me didn't you? That's why you went through all this trouble…"

He raised his hand, and Kagura tensed up as a familiar organ appeared. _That's_…_my heart!_ She realized. Naraku smirked again, almost as though he had heard her thought. "I'll return it to you."

Kagura gazed at the heart in disbelief and astonishment. "What…?"


	3. Naraku's Trickery and Sesshoumaru's Deci...

Priestess Aishisu: Wow. I got quite a few reviews, didn't I?

**WolfKeeper989: Nice story, hope to c more!**

_Priestess Aishisu: You're seeing more now, aren't you?_

**Tobias Carter from Fictionpress: Wow...just wow.**

_Priestess Aishisu: ::Bows extravagantly:: Thank you, thank you._

**Rin: Nu! Dun leave me hanging right there! Update! ::throws shoe at you:: NOW!**

_Priestess Aishisu: Hey! You're throwing a shoe at a girl with a broken leg! It isn't my fault my computer broke! ::Sticks out tongue:: But_…_thanks anyway._

**mudkip101: This is one of the best storys I've read so far! I love the angst! The Drama! I love it all!! But I need MORE! hahahahahahaha-AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!**

_Priestess Aishisu: You're going to crack a cheek singing so much._

**Vixen of the Sahara: Vixen: I really really like the story. you've got GREAT discriptions. I like Kagura. SHE IS SO...  
  
Vixens Demon side: Awesome. we know. would you just hurry up so I can get some sleep. Yawn  
  
Vixe: mimmicks everything VDS said my demon side is gonna kill me if I don't hurry up and get off so I'm gonna go. buh bye! :) : ;}**

_Priestess Aishisu: Yeah, demon sides suck, don't they? ::Shrugs:: Oh, well. I've lived with a demonic brother and a broken leg (I've had three broken legs, due to being a ballerina) you can live with an evil side_

**Wolf of Fire: this story is great! i love the story and your writing style update soon please!**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thank you, thank you ::Blows kisses::_

**Kikyou17: wow. i love sess/kik fics so now you gotta update again and get to the action! but, i have a question...why did naraku set kagura free? what...why...i dont get it. so, he just, lets her go?**

_Priestess Aishisu: Of course not! Don't worry, you'll soon see his evil plan ::Grins wickedly::_  
_Kagura: ::Gulps::_

**Seta Firetail: I love this story. Sesshomaru is my favorite villian. puts on an I Love Sesshomaru shirt**

_Priestess Aishisu: Kagura's my favorite (I don't consider Kikyou to be evil)_

**Lyssa: O.O  
It's not fair! Everybody's a better author than i am. But seriously, this is a very interesting and descriptive story. Keep updating, please!!**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thanks. I still remember the days when I thought I was the worst writer ever_…

**Arwen Dark Sorceress Of Fate: Wow!Again you did a great job and I'm uterly impresed by your amazing work is just great and please update soon.**

_Priestess Aishisu: ::Hugs you:: Thanks!_

**minerva1913: very good so far. very deep... the way things shud b... u no? finsh soon!**

_Priestess Aishisu: Thanks_

**Sweet Ruby Moon: Another awesome chapter. It's great to see you're not doing the Sessh/Kiky thing -only- , but also focusing on other characters that are in some way or another connected to the miko and the taiyoukai. Using canon facts (Naraku offering Kagura her freedom) was also a very good idea.  
  
Can't wait to see what happens next. Please, update soon. gives you cookies Ja ne!  
  
Ruby**

_Priestess Aishisu: Well, if you recognize it as canon then I suppose you must know what Naraku's evil plan is. (That fucking, monstrous bastard. What I wouldn't give to strangle him_…_what wouldn't I give? My computer, but that's about it) I read about it in a magazine and I just had to use it, but I won't have that big death scene thing. I pity her. Don't you?_

* * *

"Kagura…If this heart is returned to your body, you will not be tied to anybody." Naraku smiled slightly. "You will be free." The organ in his hand vanished, and Kagura was surrounded by energy. She lifted a quivering arm and laid a graceful hand upon her chest. Her heart thumped.

_My_…_My heart! It's_…

She never finished the thought. Three of Naraku's tentacles stabbed her in the chest. She gasped in shock and pain, and he smirked. "Don't worry," he sneered. "I avoided your precious heart."

"Naraku…" she hissed, her rage overtaking the pain. "Damn you!" She waved her fan, but he created a barrier. Snickering, he pulled the tentacles back into himself and she lurched weakly.

_That bastard_…_He injected his fucking miasma right into me!_ She ripped a feather from her hair and flew away. Naraku watched with a cruel little smirk.

_Do your best to entertain me during the short time until your life runs out_…he thought with heartless satisfaction. _All you will feel is hopelessness_…_and despair_…_and above all, **anguish.**_

* * *

Sesshoumaru's demon senses scrutinized Kikyou. Though undeniably stunning, she was formed of mystic bones and sacred earth. The incandescence of her powers formed a massive blaze, and he could hear the unpleasant keening of the dead souls which animated her. But more than what he heard and saw, he smelled that she had just been viciously beaten by…he crinkled his nose.

Naraku.

Kikyou stepped from the branches, her movements sure and regal. Her soul-skimmers glided up to make her a path. In moments she was standing gracefully in front of him, strong and resolute. "You still haven't answered my question." Her voice was firm and unafraid, her stormcloud-gray eyes steely. Had she been anybody else, he might have found her intimidating.

* * *

Kagura stumbled, barely catching herself in time to keep from plummeting off of a cliff and into the ocean. Her hair was loose, and she had a new _kimono_(the old one was ripped from the tentacles)—white with a design of gold leaves, and a blue _obi_ with a design of roses. She sighed and sank to her knees. The winds brushed against her pale skin and lifted her dark hair, whispering of faraway places. She gazed out at the ocean and drew in her breath sharply.

It was spectacular. The setting sun shimmered against the surface of the water and the sky was an exquisite array of lilac and turquoise and rose. For a moment time seemed to stand still, and Kagura for the first time in her life was truly at peace.

Then the tears fell. Tears of hopelessness and despair and anguish above all, just as Naraku had predicted. This was her **first moment** of happiness, and might be her last. At best, she had a few months left to live. At worst—

At worst she would drop dead that very moment.

* * *

Kikyou's long black hair flowed beautifully around her pale clay-and-bone body, perfect figure mostly hidden by the red-and-white _miko_ garb. Her eyes were piercing, her soft rosy lips pursed into a frown. She was almost **too** flawless, **too** ethereal, a goddess of the moonlight. The sun did not deserve to shine upon such an enchanting being.

"You may be formidable, _miko,_ but you have no right to speak to me as if I were some low-class mutt. I am a _taiyoukai, _not a half-breed like my pathetic brother_."_ His tone was icily calm, but with a threatening undercurrent to it. Instinctively, his hand went to his sword. But to his surprise and bewilderment the sword he drew wasn't Toukijin—it was Tenseiga.

Kikyou gave an unimpressed humph, but her eyes were dangerous. "You think to challenge me? A _taiyoukai_ is simply a _youkai_ with a fancy title, and neither man nor _youkai_ can vanquish me."

Sesshoumaru's lips seemed to curve ever-so-slightly just for a moment, but it must have been her imagination. "Yes, I suppose it would be difficult to vanquish the undead," he murmured, more to himself than her. Eying Tenseiga, he added so softly she barely heard, "However…"

Without another word, he lifted Tenseiga and brought it down on her head.


	4. Kikyou's Dream and the Soul's Departure

Priestess Adularia: You probably won't understand this chapter, but as Kikyou is being healed she ends up in a sort of dream where she makes the conscious decision not to live on dead souls.

* * *

It was the dark of the night, and it was cold.

A slender, pale, impossibly beautiful woman in the traditional outfit of a _Shinto_ priestess walked through the dark. The branches of the trees—like long, bony fingers reaching out to grab any unwitting soul which may pass by—blocked the moonlight, but some shined weaved in and out in spangles of silver, illuminating her and the glowing snakelike beings gliding around her.

She cast no shadow.

She hated shadows. But more than that, she hated _being_ a shadow.

She was the original. She was the one who had suffered. She was the one who had earned and desired everything _she_ had.

That girl. The faux-priestess, in her obscenely short skirts and indecent tight tops. She had _everything._ Everything Kikyou had wanted, everything Kikyou had never had. But she had not been content. She had taken what had been Kikyou's.

Meanwhile, Kikyou was forced to hide in the dark, feeling from life, living on the poor souls she once protected, trying to do any good she could as if she could somehow make up for a crime she hadn't even commited…

Kikyou's sister, Kaede, had protected and cared for the girl while denouncing her own sister as a mud façade.

The villagers who had once worshipped Kikyou flocked around the girl as if she were a goddess.

And Inuyasha…

But thinking of him only brought her pain.

A soul-stealer skimmed past her. She reached out unconsciously, glancing at her graceful hand as it passed.

No one looking at her could tell she was made of herbs and grave-soil, nor that her bones had turned to ice under the thin sheet of clay.

But she was. She was a corpse, and not even a real corpse. She had nothing.

Nothing!

Another soul-stealer twined around her, and she almost smiled. They were trying to keep her company, trailing about her like loyal puppy dogs.

For a moment, her perfectly impassive face crumpled.

_Inuyasha_…

Her fingers clenched around the crimson fabric of her miko garb.

_She doesn't even deserve him._

She knew Inuyasha still loved her. But did he know she still loved him?

_Of course not,_ she mused bitterly. _It isn't as if you let him know._

That was right, wasn't it? She loved him desperately, with every grain of dirt in her sham body.

She died for him.

She had been willing to give up her identity for him.

_It's so cold._

Then why oh why did she continue to stay away from him?

Why couldn't she simply accept his love?

_It's_ her, she thought fiercely.

What else could it be?

After all this, she had a heart, and she couldn't take her love away from her reincarnation.

_Oh, whatever god may be out there,_ _what_ _a cruel trick you played!_

Too much unfairness.

Too much brutality.

_I can't bear this_…

She couldn't hate and love at the same time.

She couldn't hurt people.

She couldn't live on the souls of the dead, even if she freed them every night.

_So cold_…

Speaking of which…

A flock of soul-stealers were coming, each with a new soul. Those with her were ready to allow the righteous souls to travel to heaven.

_Cold_…

"No!" she shrieked, the noise shattering the stillness of the night.

If there had been any animals around, they would have fled, but there were none.

They had ran from her.

_I wish it didn't have to end this way_…

"Take them away from me! Take all of them away! I refuse to live on dead souls!"

As the soul-stealers swarmed away, she felt the cold settle even more deeply on her.

_If only there were a way we could all be happy_…

Her body glowed all over. Dust showered onto the ground.

She felt her knees buckle and she fell.

_If only_…


End file.
